


Fit Right In

by Katybug1992



Series: Tumblr Prompts [122]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 20:17:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20681318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katybug1992/pseuds/Katybug1992
Summary: The Blues go back to Yale for another Mandi Schwartz Night and Joel has a lot of feelings.





	Fit Right In

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a quote from Gilmore Girls

Joel watched with a fond smile as Colton chatted with a group of students from the class the two had snuck into. They were on the Yale campus for the day with the team, planning to go to the women’s hockey game that night for Mandi Schwartz Night. They had a shorter than usual practice in the facility and then were free until that night. Joel, Jordan, Robby, and Zach had decided to stick with Colton, who wanted to walk around campus a little. They had unknowingly joined a tour group. When they entered one of the academic buildings, Colton had been drawn to an open classroom and had slipped inside before his teammates noticed. They waited outside the room for him, Joel drifting to the door window occasionally to peak in on Colton, who had jumped right into the apparent Philosophy class. Class let out and Colton re-emerge, engrossed in a conversation about the class discussion with a couple guys.

“Did you hear?” Colton came back over to his teammates after saying good-bye to the guys he had been talking to, “I used ‘existentialist’ in a sentence!”

“I heard.” Joel nodded, Colton’s happiness bringing a smile to his face.

“I’ve always wanted to do that.” Colton’s eyes were shining.

“It was very impressive.” Jordan nodded, Colton’s excitement really was contagious.

“You fit right in.” Joel’s voice slightly softer than he meant it to come out, “Anyway, who wants lunch?”

“Maybe we should go to that pizza place Schwartzy mentioned?” Robby suggested, “Maybe pick up an extra pizza to take to wherever it is he’s hiding.”

Schwartzy had, understandably, been withdrawn since they had rolled into New Haven the night before. Since then, Schenner and Borts had hardly left his side, Vova joining the three of them after practice. None of them mentioned where they could be found but at least one of them would probably answer the phone if it meant getting Schwartzy to eat something.

The five of them headed off campus and Joel couldn’t help but notice that he and Colton ended up bringing up the rear, which was odd because they had the longest legs and Colton was usually the one who would lead the way when they were together because he knew how to get from Point A to Point B most effectively. They had just started walking and Joel already knew that Fabs was about to lead them on the longest route possible to get to the pizza place. Joel’s excuse for being in back was because Colton usually dictated his pace, on and off the ice.

“You okay?” Joel asked under his breath.

“I’m fine, Eddy.” Colton grinned.

“You miss it?” Eddy gestured vaguely toward campus.

“Almost never.” Colton replied, “But sometimes….”

“What do you miss about it?” Joel hadn’t done the whole college thing. He had gone into Juniors, he hadn’t really cared that much about school ever in his life. But Colton was smart, the smartest person Joel knew. He read...for fun! 

“I miss learning.” Colton replied, “I mean, I read, but you learn more when you have someone to discuss the material with and sitting in that class…”

“Felt good?” Joel supplied.

“Yeah,” Colton nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Anyway, sorry I made you guys wait. You didn’t need to.”

“Yeah, we did.” Joel smiled, “And don’t thank us. Face like that? No way I would leave you to fend for yourself on a college campus. You are my date to the game tonight.”

Colton laughed at that, finally seeming to snap out of the headspace he been in since they started off campus, “I thought Fabs was your date.”

“You’re always my first choice to be my date.”

Colton just shook his head, “Speaking of Fabs, shouldn’t we be there by now?”

“I think he’s taking us the wrong way.”

“Ten bucks he gets us lost in under five minutes.”

“I’ll go he gets us lost in ten.”

“You’re on.”

After eating, they grabbed another large pizza and heading back to campus, Colton finding out where Schwartzy was hiding out after repeatedly calling their three teammates they knew were with him. They just dropped it off and left, the warning look Vova convincing them to leave quickly.

“Talk.” Binner seemingly appeared out of nowhere right next to Joel, causing him to yelp and Jordan to smirk, “You’ve been staring at Parry all day.”

“I have not been staring,” Joel rolled his eyes, “and it hasn’t been all day.”

“No,” Jordan nodded, “just most of the day. Fabs know about your crush?”

“It’s not a crush.” Joel replied.

“So that’s a no.” 

“You’re awful and I hate you.”

“Thank you.”

“Okay, so it’s a little crush.”

“Called it.”

“But I’m not going to do anything.”

“Why?”

“Why should I?”

“Because you’ve had a crush on him since the day you met him.” Jordan rolled his eyes, “And I’m sure Colt returns it. You’re his favorite bad influence after all.”

“I’m his favorite?”

“Oh my God.” Jordan rolled his eyes before walking over to where Fabs, Zach, and Colton were playing Frisbee. 

Joel couldn’t hear what Jordan said to Colton, but the blond got that endearing concerned look on his face before he jogged over to Joel.

“Wanna take a walk?” Colton asked as he reached Joel.

Joel just nodded, glaring over his shoulder at the other three, all over who were sending him two thumbs up. Oh, he would so be getting them back later.

“Are you okay?” Colton asked when they were far enough away, “You’ve been kind of quiet.”

“I’ve just been thinking.” Joel shrugged.

“So that’s what that smell is.” Colton grinned over at Joel, who couldn’t help the huff of laughter that escaped him.

“Binner was right,” Joel grinned, “I am a bad influence on you.”

“The best bad influence.” Colton smiled back, “My favorite bad influence.”

“Don’t tell anyone,” Joel faux-whispered, “but you’re my favorite on the D-core.”

Colton laughed at that, “Petro’s gonna be crushed.”

“Am I your favorite?”

“You know you are.”

“Good. It would have been awkward if you said no.”

“Not as awkward as if you asked me out and I said no.”

“What?”

“Binner mentioned that liked me and said that I should let you know in a low-key manner that I also liked you.”

“I’m gonna kill him.”

“Ask me out first. I would hate for him to die for nothing.”

“Will you get dinner with me? On our night off in Manhattan?”

“You don’t want to wait until we get home?”

“And give you time to change your mind? No way.”

Colton laughed and gave him a peck on the cheek before starting back toward the Quad and the frisbee game he left.

“That was it?!” Joel called after him, “That’s all I get for all the pining I’ve done?!”

“I don’t kiss before the first date!” Colton grinned in return, turning around and running, Joel right behind him.


End file.
